New Beginnings and Old Enemies
by Schizzar
Summary: Remake of Runaway.PainexRikku. A week before Paine and Baralai's wedding, something changes the Praetor of New Yevon, and Paine has a suspicion that is has to do with Via Infinato. On her journey with Rikku, will she find answers, or questions? Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**So here is the first piece I have written after officially being off hiatus. It is a remake of Runaway and eventually that piece will be deleted. So you all know. Anyways, this will be a Paine x Rikku, and yes there will be a lemon in the future, unlike the old version. Read at your own risk. :D I don't own FFX-2 and reviews are loved. **

The sun was beginning to set on the Moonflow as Paine fought another group of bandits off. It brought back memories of times when she had been with the Gullwings, when they had gone through this area protecting Tobli's caravan. Only this time she wasn't getting any sort of feeling of accomplishment for helping anyone. Her nerves were too high strung at this point to feel anything beyond the need to move forward regardless of what was before her. As she pulled her sword out of the bandit's body, she took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

It had been 2 hours since she had escaped Bevelle and escaped her fiance, Baralai. All of the details were blurred in her mind, blended together in a myriad of sounds, colors, and sensations, painful sensations. _Come on Paine, get it together, _she thought. _If you get too out of control, you're screwed. So where can you go, besides just forward? You need a destination. _

The warrior moved away from the dead bodies, moving a little slower than the sprinting she had been doing before. _Okay, who can you get to in the next few hours? _Not Yuna, that was for sure. The ex-summoner was settling down in Besaid with Tidus, and Besaid Island was too far away to get to before nightfall anyways.

_Gippal. He'll protect me, maybe. If he believes me. _Paine swallowed thickly. Her story was weird, but Gippal had seen all the crazy things she had seen so maybe it wouldn't seem too farfetched. With a goal in mind, Paine broke into a run again, pretending not the hear the faint sounds of jingling armor and chocobo chirps behind her.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Gippal patted the machine lightly, eyes giving it one more look over before deeming it worthy of being called complete.

"Which means my work is done for today," he sighed, moving onto the elevator platform.

The platform jolted into motion, slowly descending into the first room. Another sigh escaped his lips when the lift finally stopped for the person who stood before him spelled trouble and most likely, a lot of it.

"Paine? Why are you here?" he asked, moving off the lift. "And did the guards let you in?"

"I convinced them."

The warrior didn't look too good. Her silver hair was dark with sweat, her leather clothes clinging to her body in a sticky mess, and she was splattered with flecks of blood, none of which seemed to be hers.

"That better not be the guards," he said warningly.

"It's not. Bandits." Paine looked away as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "I crossed the Moonflow and I wasn't in a good mood. The kills weren't as clean as they should've been."

"I can see that. It's a little cold in here and you're covered in sweat. No wonder you're shivering." He stepped forward and then moved past her, still talking. "Let's go to my room. It's warmer and you can tell me why you're here."

Paine turned to face him. "New Yevon guards might show up. Tell your men not to rat me out."

Gippal raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What the hell did you do?"

Red eyes flashed angrily as they met his for the first time. "Nothing! I..." She stopped and looked down again. "Never mind. I'll tell you later.

"Meet me in my room. I need to talk to my men before we can discuss this," he told her. "You know where it is, right?

Paine nodded and then brushed past him, heels clicking on the stone floor harshly. With a shake of his head, he followed after her, wondering what would drive the woman to come to him of all people for help.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Paine sat on Gippal's bed listlessly, so zoned out that she didn't hear the Al Bhed man say her name until he shook her. After he did that, a mini disaster occurred which ended with a cracked wall and a cursing Gippal on the ground. "

"Sorry," she mumbled as the man picked himself up off the ground. "You startled me."

"Obviously."

The man grabbed a chair and dragged it around so the back faced her before straddling it. He gazed at her with his single eye, leaning on the back of the chair, waiting for her to speak.

"Bevelle has more secrets," she said quietly. "And I've known about them for three years. So does Yuna. And so does Rikku."

"Three years ago...that was when we destroyed Vegnagun. You knew before then?" He straightened up. "Why didn't you guys tell anyone? Me? Nooj? Someone?"

"We figured if people left it alone, everything would be fine. It was fine before. But I guess we were wrong..." she trailed off, almost zoning about again." And something is living down there. Farther down than even Vegnagun."

"Damn. How much farther?"

"More than twenty floors. We stopped after going down twenty floors and there's probably at least twice that," Paine told him. "There were a lot of unsent down there."

"Which leads me to ask again: why didn't you think this was dangerous? And why didn't you tell anyone?" Gippal exploded.

Paine tensed but then glared. "There were other things on our minds! Like Vegnagun! Like saving Spira! Like fixing up all of the problems you three left behind when you just left with no warning!"

Gippal closed his eyes and was silent, giving them both a moment to cool down. Slowly, Paine brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly and resting her head on them, looking away from Gippal completely. Maybe it had been a bad idea to come see the Al Bhed man. He wasn't taking it very well so far.

"So...what else?" he finally asked.

"One of those unsent possessed Baralai. I suspected and he confirmed my suspicions before throwing me down in the Via Purifico. Of course, that was after he...beat me for finding out. I was there for three days before I finally escaped and came well...here."

Paine didn't turn to look at him. She didn't want to see Gippal's expression, didn't want to see the disbelief at war with the desire to believe.

"Paine. That's terrible. And I do believe you," Gippal began. "But I don't know what you want me to do. I can't afford to leave here and just go fight Baralai for you."

"I don't want you to do anything big. Just give me a place to stay tonight and don't tell Baralai I'm here." Paine didn't say that she didn't trust Gippal to help her beyond the little she asked of him. True, he had never taken a shot at her like the others but she had seen him down in Bevelle; he hadn't hesitated to pull a gun on his friends.

Gippal stood up, sighing loudly as he ran a hand through his hair. "I can do something more for you. You probably want to get to Yuna or Rikku right? And on foot, you have a land to cover to the next port. Plus, the New Yevon soldiers have chocobos. You don't stand a chance out running them, and how you did the first time...I don't want to know."

"Get to your point," Paine snapped. "I'm tired."

Gippal's gaze softened a little, even with her harsh tone. "I have a connection with Buddy and Brother. I can get them to come pick you up and take you to Yuna."

"Isn't the airship a little big? And obvious? Wouldn't they suspect you of something if they were watching?" Paine asked, unfolding her knees and putting her feet on the ground.

The Al Bhed grinned. "They've changed some things. Before he left, Shinra put up some sort of sphere...thing. I don't know the details, when I asked he said he was just a kid. But I do know that the waves of the spheres interfere with each other in some perfect way that makes the ship invisible."

"Oh? The kid gets smarter every day," Paine mused.

Gippal chuckled and helped her up. "I'll show you where you can clean up. And then get some rest, okay?"

The warrior nodded.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

The next morning came early as Paine and Gippal climbed up the rocky area behind Djose Temple. Buddy would deactivate the spheres long enough for her to get on but that was it. Before they reached the top of the cliff, Paine stopped and turned to face the Al Bhed man.

"Thank you," she started. "Even if it doesn't feel like you did a lot, you have."

"No problem. We may not be as close as we were during the Crimson Squad years but...I'll still help you as much as I can," Gippal told her. "And if you need shelter, I can provide it."  
Paine did a half turn almost as if she was going to keep walking but then paused. They were both still for a moment and finally, Paine moved towards him and embraced him awkwardly. A little shocked, he hugged her back.

"Plus 500 hundred respect points," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "Still doing that? What does that put me at?"

"Well you lost a few after the Crimson Squad," she said, releasing him. "And I can't remember where you were at. So I guess 500."

Gippal grinned. "Works for me. Now go. Find Yuna and Rikku and sort this out. If it gets too rough, I'll do what I can."

"Thank you." _Except I know you'll stay out of it even if I'm dying. _Paine turned and headed for the cliff edge pausing just before she reached it and waiting for Buddy to show her the ramp for the airship.

It flickered briefly and she stepped onto it, keeping her gaze up. She knew if she looked down and saw nothing beneath her, she would panic. Finally, she was in the very bottom of the airship and her vision blurred. When she opened them again, the ramp had closed behind her and she was standing in an empty gray room with a door before her. However, before she could open the door, it opened and Buddy walked in.

"Hey. I figured it might help to see a friendly face instead of wandering around looking for us," he told her. "And you don't need to explain anything; Gippal told me."

Paine felt anger rising up in her chest but she choked it down. _Of course. Gippal would tell everything without asking me. _"Does Brother know?" _If he does, I take back all those respect points._

"No. He figured telling Brother would be a bad idea," Buddy said, opening the door and following her through.

_Telling anyone was a bad idea,_ she thought. "How long before we reach Besaid?"

"An hour, roughly," Buddy replied as they entered the elevator. "You can head on up to the cabin if you want."

"I'll do that." _Because talking with you any longer will just get awkward. _

Through she was the first to leave the Gullwings, outside of Shinra anyways, she did miss it. But the past was the past, and she had finally let it go.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

The sun was just rising as Paine entered Besaid village, and all was still. She paused a moment and gazed around the island. Still, nothing had changed, and she doubted anything ever would. That stillness, that sense of time being unmoved, she wanted it, badly. Even when she was resting in Djose Temple, she couldn'y stop and get her thoughts together. Maybe now, she could.

Slowly, she made her way toward Lulu and Wakka's hut, where she guessed Yuna and Tidus would currently be living until they got around to making their own home. However, she was surprised to see the flap open and Yuna emerge.

The ex-summoner hadn't changed much in the past two years, still wearing the short shorts and half skirt, still being herself and not giving a damn if people thought she wasn't being modest enough.

"Just as I thought," Yuna said quietly, her mismatched eyes meeting Paine's. "I had this feeling."

Paine didn't move as Yuna approached her, nothing but unconditional love and understanding in her eyes. Something Paine had been needing quite a lot of lately. Yuna embraced her and it was in that moment she broke, folding into the other woman's arms with a tight soundless sob.


	2. Chapter 2

Wowwwwwww this chapter took WAY too long. I am so sorry. But here it is. I don't own Final Fantasy X-2, reviews are loved. Yell at me if I didn't reply to your review. :P

Two days later, Paine was sitting inside the hut with Yuna at her left, Rikku at her right, and Lulu in front of her. All of the men had been shoed out of the house, Rikku declaring that this was women talk and men were unwanted. In those two hours, Paine had dragged her wits and thoughts together so she was able to talk with out stuttering or crying.

"Alright, so start from the beginning," Lulu said, her soft and always comforting v oice calming her considerably. "And Rikku, Yuna, no questions until she is done."

Paine felt Yuna's hand slip into hers and squeeze in reassurance. "As you know, Baralai and I were going to be married. Well he changed and I learned that he was being taken over again when I saw the pyre flies around him. He thought I was gone at the time but when he saw me..." Paine stopped, looking for a word. "Things happened. I was thrown down into Via Purifico. I escaped three days later and managed to get to Djose Temple where Gippal let me stay for a night. Buddy and Brother picked me up in the morning and took me here."

"Oh geeze," Rikku muttered, wrapping an arm around Paine's shoulder. "Paine, I'm so sorry."

Paine leaned into her friend's arms. She hated being weak and hated needing help even more but this...this was just one of those times where she just had to accept it.

"So he was taken over by something. But what?" Lulu murmured.

"Do you think it was from the Via Infinato?" Yuna asked.

"It's Trema," aine mumbled. "Well, that's what he said, so I'd take it for true."

"So let's kill him," Lulu said. "Not Baralai; Trema."

"Well that's great and all but how do we get back in? Terma's probably got the play on lock down," Yuna said. "Not to mention he's probably telling everyone some lie about Paine, so we have to deal with all of that too."

"Yunie, you're making it worse!" Rikku protested, lips moving into a pout.

"No, she's right," Paine said, pulling herself up right. "We can't worry about that though and to be honest, I don't really care about how the public views me. The only thing _I'm _worried about is saving Baralai. The rest doesn't matter, and can be repaired with time. This however, can't."

Lulu nodded her agreement. "Wise words. Since I know nothing of this place you speak of, I can't truly advise you, not well. But I promise you, my house will always be welcome to you in times of need, no matter what the circumstances are."

"I trust that promise more than Gippal's," Paine muttered. "But I don't want to intrude too long. He'll send soldiers here eventually, and I don't plan on being here when that time comes. I think...we need to get to the bottom of Yevon's secrets once and for all."

"Oh, it's like the Gullwings are back togehter again!" Rikku exclaimed, leaping up in excitement, bouncing from foot to foot excitedly.

Paine smirked. "Kind of, I guess." _And I sort of like that idea. I didn't realize how much I had missed these two until now. And even Buddy and Brother, I guess. Well...maybe that's pushing it. _

"What about Tidus, Yuna?" Lulu asked.

"He can come with us," Yuna said simply. "Or if he doesn't want to, he can stay behind. But I'm going. Call it selfish but..."

"I understand. You don't have to explain. Well, if it is decided, I suppose we should let the men come back in, yes?" Lulu asked. "I'll give them the bare bones of the situation, if you don't mind, Paine?"

Paine nodded. "It's fine."

She stood and left the room, leaving silence behind her. None of the girls spoke for a few moments, but finally, Rikku broke the quiet and still air.

"Paine...I...will you still marry Baralai?" she mumbled. "Once we fix him I mean."

"I don't know," Paine answered honestly, and left it at that. She wasn't sure, and while she loved and trusted the two women dearly, that didn't mean she was ready to spill every secret that she was hiding.

"Let's not think about that now," Yuna said firmly. "It's not the main thing we need to concern ourselves with right now."

"Right," Paine agreed.

At that moment, the two men returned, Lulu following quickly in tow. Tidus looked angry and defiant all in one while Wakka only looked concern, frowning sympathetically when he looked at Paine.

"Yuna you can't go!" Tidus burst out. "Not without me..."

"You thought we wouldn't let you go?" Yuna asked, smiling a little. "We'll accept the help we can get, and we all know you can pull your own weight."

Paine nodded her agreement. "Why would you think we'd make you stay here while we went off? This is a threat to Spira, not just me and if you want to help, whether for me or for Spira, why should I stop you?"

Tidus grinned sheepishly, realizing his own foolishness. "I guess I overreacted."

Wakka's laugh filled the tent loudly, which seemed to release a lot of built up pressure and tension, as he clapped the blond man on the shoulder. "You think, Brudda? I told you Yuna wouldn't leave you here if she went off, ya? And who didn't believe me?"

"So what is your plan?" Lulu asked, sitting down once again, Wakka now beside her. "You would likely find Trema in this Via Infinato, correct?"

"That's what I was thinking. I doubt Trema is dumb enough to immerse himself completely in another person. If the mortal body dies, he'd go along with it, unless he left a part of his soul somewhere else. He wouldn't take that risk of losing everything like that," Paine said. "So we'll break in, get into Via Infinato and find Trema. After that, we deal with what ever is left of him in Baralai."

"I could do a summoning," Yuna began tentatively. "I mean...I don't think I can anymore but I could always try. Then we could remove Trema's soul for good, and Baralai would be kept safe."

Paine nodded, blinking gratefully. "That sounds like a good idea."

"And it also sounds easy! But it's not," Rikku sighed. "Those first few floors were easy monsters but I doubt it will stay that way."

"Don't worry so much," Tidus interrupted. "If you worry, we'll fail. So no worrying."

"Yes, sir," Paine drawled sardonically.

Yuna giggled lightly. "So let's call Buddy and Brother and get going!"

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Paine stood at the window sill, staring out over the ocean they were crossing, rapidly, heading for Bevelle. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even hear Rikku step up beside her until the blond woman spoke, startling her.

"Hey," she mumbled.

Paine whipped around, relaxing when she saw Rikku. "Hey."

"How are you doing?" Rikku asked, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders lightly, leaning close so that her tight blond braids tickled beneath her ear.

"Holding it together," Paine answered, leaning into the embrace gratefully. "Somehow."

Silence fell over them, both staring out the window but neither moving away. Paine could tell Rikku was just burning to ask a question but was holding back, probably in an effort not to pressure her into anything.

"Paine," Rikku started, unable to resist. "You said...that Bara....Trema did something. What did he do?"

Paine had supposed she would ask that question too. "Rikku. I love you, and I trust you. But I can't discuss that with you. Not right now. Okay? Please...understand." In another rare act of weakness, Paine turned into Rikku's embrace, pulling her close and holding her tightly. Rikku returned the hug in full force, humming soothingly as she rubbed her friend's back.

"I'm sorry Paine. We'll fix all of this, I promise. Okay?"

Paine nodded, pulling away slowly and giving her friend a weak smile. "I know. With Tidus and Yuna and you...I can believe that."

Rikku smiled widely. "You bet you can! Trema won't know what even hit him! I'll be all, die! And he'll be all, oh no! I stand no chance against an Al Bhed! And Tidus will be all, you filthy bastard! I will destroy you! And he'll be all, oh no! And-"

Paine interrupted her with a loud laugh, pulling away and snickering. "Wow Rikku."

"Hey, it cheered you up, right?" Rikku asked defensively, a smile still on her face.

"Yeah, it did," Paine answered, returning the smile, but this time, it wasn't weak at all. "Thanks Rikku."

Rikku hugged her tightly. "No problem. I'm always here for you!"

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Paine swallowed, staring at the entrance to the High Bridge as Tidus and Rikku tied up the bodies of the guards they had just knocked out. Yuna moved up beside her, sighing.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Paine muttered. "What should we go in as? We'll be killed by the guards unless we plan correctly."

"Fast and hard then?" Yuna grinned.

Paine smiled back. "I guess so. We're look at Berserker then. And a warrior. Alchemist for healing and fire power. Can Tidus handle himself alright?"

"Of course!" This came from Tidus, who had seemingly materialized beside Yuna, as if summoned by his name. "Psh, Guardian of the HIgh Summoner here? Of course I can handle myself."

Rikku giggled. "Hey, I was a Guardian too!"

"Yes, yes we know," Paine said, rolling her eyes. "Rikku, you're our Berserker. I'm going warrior, Yuna, you're Alchemist. We all set on that?"

"Duh. Time to kick some butt!" Rikku cried, pumping a fist in the air. Even as she did so, her small amount of clothing became even smaller as she changed into the Berserker dress sphere, a single horn sprouting from one side of her head.

"Alright let's go, let's go!" This was said by Tidus as he rushed past them, sword already out as he plunged towards the High Bridge.

Yuna sighed, shaking her head as she followed after him, changing into an Alchemist even as she ran, with Paine bringing up the rear, wondering if it was all going to turn out alright. The High Bridge was swamped in guards, and by the time the three girls got there, Tidus had already engaged a large number of them, fighting them easily as if he had never lost his touch; maybe he hadn't.

Paine plunged in next, slicing her sword across one man's chest, cutting his flamethrower neatly in two in the process. He dropped to the ground and Paine jumped over him nimbly, engaging the next one immediately. She had meant it when she said hard and fast; they'd never get through otherwise.

"Paine, duck!" Rikku shouted from behind.

The warrior didn't even think about it, rolling neatly to the ground and glancing up as a body flew over her head, hitting the ground before her. The man groaned but didn't move, proving he was still alive. Rikku charged past her, tackling one man to the ground, lashing out with her foot at one that tried to close in behind her; obviously the blonde was handling herself just fine. More guards were arriving, flowing down the High Bridge, a few floating machina floating behind them.

"I really don't want to deal with those," Yuna commented as she ran past Paine, her gun glowing brightly. She gave Paine a smile and then took careful aim, firing out. The beam split in two and then took down two separate machina, parts blowing apart and splashing into the water, and in some cases, hitting the guards.

"Whoo, go Yunie!" Rikku said.

The battle continued in much the same way; a wave of guards, which were eliminated, then another group with machina accompanying them. At one point, Yuna cast Haste on all of them, and they whipped past their enemies, deciding that it was pointless to take down all of them; they would need their energy for the actual Via Infinato. Paine led the way into the main building of Bevelle, stopping as the door shut behind them. There were no guards here at all, and the only sound was their heavy breathing.

"We have to keep moving," Paine finally said. "They'll follow us soon if we don't get going."

Wordlessly, the others followed her down the right hallway and into a small mostly empty room, the only thing being a large block of stone, glowing bright blue. The three girls exchanged looks; they knew where it led, they knew how to get there.

"Well, staring at it won't help any," Yuna finally said, turning to look back at it.

Paine strode up to it and delivered a hard kick, forcing the stone back to reveal a blue glyph; the stone was lighter than it looked. "There we are."

"Looks pretty harmless for something that leads to a deep underground lair of monsters," Tidus commented.

"Yeah, well Bevelle has lots of secrets," Paine muttered, glancing behind them as the sound of the doors being thrown open reached their ears.

Rikku laughed nervously. "Well, no time like the present. Let's go!" The blonde woman had already changed back to a thief, and she leapt for the glyph, vanishing from sight. Yuna followed, then Tidus. Paine bit her lip and stepped forward. It was time to face the past. Literally.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah this is a day late. It got posted on dA yesterday. Ah well. Enjoy the next chapter. I don't own Final Fantasy X-2**

"I'm bored," Tidus called in a sing song voice, slashing down with his sword. The fiend vanished with a cry and a hiss, pyre flies dancing around them as it faded away.

"That's great and all but you won't be saying that for long," Paine called back. She kicked back with her heel, cracking the skull of some wolf fiend and then aiming a high powered fire spell at a flan. As their enemies faded away, she let herself bleed back into her warrior dress sphere, feeling much more comfortable.

"Yeah, it gets tougher later on," Rikku assured him, opening her pouch and dropping in some gil she had managed to get. "Bet you can't wait!"

"I'm bursting with enthusiasm," Yuna sighed, rolling her eyes and heading for the next drop off.

It was the only way to get from floor to floor, and while it looked and felt scary, jumping off the cliff like edge of the floor and into total darkness, they always landed safely with no real issues. Somehow. Paine didn't want to think about it more than absolutely necessary; as long as she didn't die moving from floor to floor, she didn't care what crazy magic made it work. The four fighters jumped off at once, landing one after another, and then freezing.

"Um...that's an Elder Drake," Tidus said.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Paine drawled, moving her sword into a better attack position as the Elder Drake lumbered towards them, waiting for the signal that it was going to attack.

Slowly, the group spread out. They didn't all want to get hit when it did attack and end up defenseless after all, but this soon proved to be a bad choice. With a roar, the Elder Drake lunged, ramming it's head into both Tidus and Yuna, catching them off guard and flinging them off the green platform and into the black abyss below. Startled, Rikku moved to start after them but Paine grabbed her arm at the last second, though she wasn't sure why. This move also proved to be a bad idea for the next moment, the Elder Drake struck, catching them both with its horns and flinging them off the opposite edge.

Pain flared as she hit the bottom; it had happened too quickly for the warrior to get her feet underneath her so when she landed, it was her spine that absorbed the full blow, and then, to make matters worse, her head cracked against the hard ground. Her vision spiraled as she gasped out, all the breath leaving her in one rush, making her lungs burn as if they were on fire, but there was nothing else she could do, for the spiraling vision was quickly turning black.

"Paine! Stay with me! Come on Paine, we-"

Nothing.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Yuna groaned as she rolled onto her stomach, working her arms beneath herself and pushing up, trying to catch her breath. Tidus was next to her, shaking his head as he sat up, holding his head as if it ached; it probably did. As soon as he was up, he moved over to her, arms wrapping around her shoulders quickly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes looking over her quickly and searching for visible injury.

"I'm fine," Yuna assured him, pulling away and standing up, brushing herself off. "But I'm worried about Paine and Rikku. This isn't a good place to be separated in. I'm not sure if two people alone can handle the lower levels..."

Tidus gave her another winning smile, remaining optimistic as always no matter what the situation was. "Hey don't worry about it. We can handle ourselves just fine and I'm sure those two can too. I know for a fact Rikku is strong, and while I don't know Paine, I'm sure she's just as strong! We'll get out okay."

Yuna smiled back, nodding her head. "Yeah. You're right. I don't know why I'm worried. We've faced tougher things."

"Exactly!"

The blond man turned and began to walk, sword out and ready for more fiends. The two continued on, trying not to think about their other lost companions as they sank further and further down into the labyrinth, until finally, Yuna felt to weary to lift her foot up one more time. Tidus was feeling much the same, rolling his shoulders and stifling a yawn all at once, shaking his head roughly in an attempt to wake himself up.

"Maybe we should stop for now," Yuna suggested. "I don't want to push too hard. We have to conserve our strength."

"Yeah, you're right," Tidus agreed, plopping down right where he was. "I'll keep first watch so you can get your rest. I have more energy than you do anyways."

"Do not," Yuna said, smirking even as she laid down on the hard ground, resting her head on Tidus's lap for a pillow. "Do you really think they're okay though?"

"Well we are, aren't we?" Tidus asked. "So they are too."

Yuna bit her lip, sighing. "I just wish I could be there for Paine right now. She can't do this alone and even with Rikku...it just doesn't feel right without being there for them."

Tidus didn't respond for awhile, head back and looking up at the darkness that stretched on above them, almost like night, but too dark to be so. "You miss being with the Gullwings, don't you? You miss the sphere hunting and fighting the fiends and just...roaming and being on an adventure."

"Yeah. I do. But I would rather live my life out with you," she said. "The whole reason I started being a sphere hunter in the first place was to find you again and now that I have you, I have no real reason to keep going. Paine solved all of her mysteries, that's why she finally settled down with Baralai and Rikku...well it's Brother and Buddy. She can go with them whenever she wants. I don't think she has any plans to settle down soon."

Tidus looked down at her, rubbing her cheek with the back of his hand lovingly. "Just because you found me doesn't mean you have to give up something you enjoy doing Yuna. I'd go with you if you wanted to go sphere hunting again. I hope you don't think I was trying to hold you back from staying with the Gullwings; I'm happy with doing what you want."

"I know you are Tidus. That's why I'm in love with you," Yuna said quietly. "But...I don't know. I don't know what I'll do. Let's just get through this first, okay?"

He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "Okay. Get some rest. I'll protect you."

She smiled and closed her eyes, slipping into a restless sleep.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Rikku paced anxiously as she waited for Paine to wake up, trying not to freak out too much. While the woman had cracked her head pretty hard on the ground, there was no bump and no bleeding, and her breathing was regular, so Rikku figured she was going to be fine. They would both be fine really. As long as no big fiends appeared when it was just her by herself.

"Ugh..." Paine moaned, shifting and rolling onto her side, eyes opening slowly.

"Paine!" Rikku squealed, racing over to her but stopping at the last second, not wanting to knock the woman over and hurt her in the process. Instead she hovered, biting her lip. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Paine muttered, sitting up slowly. She shook her head slowly to clear and then all the sudden she was on her feet, springing away from Rikku and glancing around wildly. "Yuna? Tidus? Where are they?"

"They fell off another edge," Rikku mumbled, staring down at the floor. "I don't know where they ended up..."

"Shit." Paine stared at the ground, unable to believe what she had led her friends into. Separated as they were...she didn't know if they could survive the lower levels, and teleporting back up without killing Trema first would be suicide. "I screwed up. I shouldn't have dragged you guys into this."

"Shut up Paine. We're your friends. We love you. Deal with it," Rikku ordered. She knew a broken woman when she saw one, and if Paine was feeling helpless, well then she would have to be the strong one and get the warrior back on track. "Now stop being stupid and let's go. If you can move and fight, we have to keep moving on, other wise all of this was just pointless."

Paine paused a moment, looking at the blonde woman and gnawing her lip. "You're right. I can't give up now just because we're separated."

Rikku smiled and then abruptly hugged her tight, squeezing the breath out of her. "Oh Paine. We'll be alright. We took on Vegnagun. Yuna, Tidus, and I have taken on Sin. You've fought along side Gippal and Baralai and Nooj in times of uncertainty. We're stronger than him. Trema doesn't stand a chance."

The words were encouraging. They had done all of those things, and while it was no reason to get cocky, it was certainly a reason not to give up and say they weren't strong enough, because they were.

"Alright. I'm ready to keep going."

Rikku pulled back, gave her a quick smile and then danced away, racing across the dark green floor and into the gloom, brandishing her weapons with an enthusiastic battle cry. Sighing, Paine ran after her, plunging into battle alongside her friend. Two floors later, both women were panting from exhaustion, showing that despite their enthusiasm, they weren't invincible and they had been fighting for much too long already.

"Maybe we should rest," Rikku suggested, collapsing onto the ground even as she said it.

"No, let's keep going until we keel over and die," Paine said sarcastically, sitting down beside her and then flopping on her back. "Ugh. I wish Bevelle would stop being so secretive. It's giving me a headache to be honest. Stupid Yevon maggots."

Rikku looked down at the warrior uneasily. Sure Paine didn't like New Yevon over much, nor did she like the Youth League but it was not very Paine-like to call people maggots. "Um Paine? You feeling alright?"

"No. I'm not. My ex-lover hurt me and abused me, I'm cold, I'm tired, I have no bed, and whenever tomorrow is, I've got more fighting, more cold, and eventually Trema. I feel terrible," Paine grumbled. "I'm sorry Rikku. I shouldn't be complaining."

"You have every right to," Rikku said, leaning closet to look her in the eye. "Paine, you've been through a lot and I'm one of your best friends. If you need to rant or yell or scream, it's okay. I understand. If you feel weird screaming by yourself I'll shout just as loud with you. That's what friends do. They help each other."

Paine groaned, putting a hand over her face and then groaned even louder. "Wanna scream? I don't care if it attracts enemies at this point."

"Oh me first! Ahhhhh!"

Paine drew her hand away, smirking at the blond woman. "That all you got?" She took a deep breath and let out a long, obnoxious yell, letting the sound echo in the chamber around them as Rikku snickered. The two continued back and forth, eventually dissolving into hysterical giggles and eventually Paine's laughter turned into full on sobs as she curled up on herself, tears running down her face.

Concerned, Rikku laid down next to her, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. To be honest, she had been expecting this sort of reaction, given the stress the warrior had been under, it was not surprising to see her go through every form of stress relief: fighting, screaming, laughing and crying. Hopefully it did some good. Shockingly, Paine's odd behavior didn't stop there, because the next moment she latched onto Rikku, wrapping herself around the blonde woman and tugging her close, crying deeply into her shoulder.

"Paine," Rikku said softly, rubbing the woman's bare back as her shoulder grew wet with hot tears. "It's okay."

"No it's not. It won't be okay until he's dead," she muttered, voice shaking. "I hate him! I fucking hate him..."

"Who? Trema?" Rikku asked.

"Him. Nooj. Gippal. Baralai. They're all jerks."

"Uh."

"They all backstab each other and hurt each other and then they say they're sorry. Sorry isn't good enough for shooting me and shooting each other," Paine whispered. "I should let go of the past but after what he did. What Trema did. What someone did. I don't know anymore Rikku. I just don't know."

"I don't know what to say," Rikku murmured. "I just...I can't help you if there's something you aren't telling me Paine and that's what it sounds like."

"I can't. Don't ask me to."

"I won't. You tell me when you're ready and not a moment before," Rikku said firmly. "Now rest, okay? I'll keep watch. You need your sleep. I'll protect you."

Paine nodded but before she could say anything in response, she was already drifting to sleep, too warn out to fight the exhaustion anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**A new chapter has finally arrived! Enjoy, and reviews are loved. :D**

**Warnings: Girl love**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2**

Gippal paused outside Besaid, leaning against the cool stone pillar that marked the entrance to the village. He didn't really have time to be pausing; he could hear the jangling of chocobo armor coming down the path, signaling the arrival of New Yevon's troops.

_If only life wasn't sucky, _he thought. Peeling away, he entered the village only to run right into Lulu, who's purple eyes were alight with amusement.

"You took your time," she said, her low voice oddly soothing for the turmoil rushing through his thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. You saw me?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You might want to hide," Lulu continued. "Unless you want Baralai to think you warned Paine."

Gippal felt the sudden urge to bash his head into the wall. "I am an idiot!"

"Don't worry. Just go to the temple, or hide in some brush if you would prefer. Baralai will not get past me."

"Lady, Rikku's told me you're powerful but I don't think-"

"Go on."

Gippal obeyed, slipping under the cover of the brush and tent wall just as the troops approached the entrance. Lulu looked small, seeing as how the chocobo's height was twice her's, but the confidence she radiated made her seem all the more powerful.

"Praetor Baralai. To what do we owe this visit?" Lulu asked.

Baralai swung down, smiling easily as he extended a hand. Lulu ignored it.

"I just have a few questions," Baralai said.

_Dammit Lulu! He's dangerous. What are you doing? _

"Since when did asking questions require troops in a peaceful village?"

"I would really like my questions answered," Baralai replied, smile dropping.

"Oh, so you're threatening me now, are you?" Lulu's voice dripped with sweet patience as she stared the man down. Gippal wondered how she could do it when it was obvious that the man could over power her in a heart beat.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. Now. Yuna and that boy, as well as the Al Bhed girl were spotted entering Bevelle as well as trespassing into our lower floors. Trespassers are not tolerated. I was wondering if perhaps you knew why they would commit such a crime. They were after all, living with you."

"I am under no obligation to tell you anything. I think it is best that you take your leave," Lulu said, still not moving an inch.

"I will destroy this village if you do not tell me where they were going." Baralai's threat was not a light one, and both Lulu and Gippal knew it.

"I hope you're prepared for the consequences of that move, Trema. Because that commsphere back there has recorded everything so far and all the data has already been transmitted somewhere else. So, if you're going to make your move..." Lulu stepped back and to the side, clearing the way. "Then move."

"You know? Then they must know as well." Baralai grinned, one similar to what had marred his faces the day he had tried to shoot them all in the back. "Thank you, for you have answered my question. Farewell."

Several cries from the troops echoed in the air as Baralai collapsed on the ground. As he fell, pyre flies began to hiss out of his body, rising up into the air, twisting and tangling with one another as they began to fade from sight. Panicked murmurs rushed through the troops, though they silenced as Baralai stirred, slowly rising to his knees. His vision was cloudy, blurred and confused as he stared at the ground.

"Where...where are we?" he whispered.

Lulu knelt, grabbing his chin and jerking him around to look at her. "I suggest you get a good hold on your memories right now and stop those men from attacking our village."

Gippal snorted at the shock in Baralai's eyes at being handled so roughly, but he obeyed nonetheless, standing up and facing his troops.

"Stand down. In fact, go back to Bevelle. Wait for me to send word."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Paine woke slowly, pushing herself up off of Rikku's thigh which she had been using for a pillow. The woman gave her a reassuring smile, though it was tired. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not important. You needed it," Rikku said.

"We should...get going then. I don't want to waste anymore time," Paine said, getting to her feet and picking up her sword.

"I don't think regaining our energy so we don't pass out after two steps qualifies as 'wasting time'," Rikku said, following after Paine to another edge.

Paine didn't dignify Rikku's retort with a response, instead launching herself off the edge and into the inky blackness. Her landing was much smoother this time as she ducked into a roll. When she came out of it, she saw that they were faced with a long hallway, devoid of any fiends. At the very end, the corridor rounded off, so sharply that she couldn't get a single glimpse at what could possibly lay on the other side.

"We'll have to be careful," Paine said, keeping her sword before her as she inched down the hallway.

Rikku made a soft noise of agreement, and together, the two women made their way down towards the corner. As they walked, they became more and more aware that they were not alone, the backs of their necks tingling in anticipation. Together, they pressed themselves against the wall of the corner, weapons held tight to their bodies so that their opponent would not see them first.

Paine took a deep breath and then craned her neck around the corner, grimacing when she saw what lay beyond them. An Elder Drake was staring straight at her, it's hot breath puffing out of its nostrils in thick clouds.

"It would be our luck to run into one of these," she breathed, ducking back around the corner. "Elder Drake. How do you want to do this?"

Rikku looked down at her grid, rearranging her dress spheres as she thought. "How about we go in as Berserkers, and I'll change into a white mage when you need it?"

Paine thought a moment and then nodded, accessing her own grid and letting the Berserker form come over her. Rikku grinned and did the same.

"If it starts to look bad, pull out," Paine said. "I'd rather run and come back later for revenge."

"Got it," Rikku said, and then dove around the edge, sprinting towards the Elder Drake with a battle cry.

Paine followed suit, ignoring the Elder Drake's challenging roar and springing right at it. It swung it's heavy head towards her, catching her in the side with it's large horns. She wrapped herself around it though, sinking her claws in and yanking back before getting her feet underneath her push off the large horn, flipping through the air and landing on all fours. As soon as she landed, she lunged forward once more, catching the beast across the nose.

It retaliated almost instantly, catching her in the side and flinging her into the wall. The wall cracked from the blow and her vision spun, but the Berserker instinct kept her from backing off, instead making it so that the pain only enraged her. She gathered her feet beneath her and leapt, landing on the dragon's head, claws digging into it's thick hide to help with balance. It tossed its head side to side, trying to shake her. Paine slammed her foot down at the joint that connected one of it's horns to its head, letting out a scream as she did so.

A sickening crack hit her ears, making her fumble in surprise as the horn broke off, a fountain of blood and muscle rushing out of the gaping wound. The beast let out a roar as it stumbled around, and Paine tumbled down it's neck and onto it's spine. She sunk her claws in to stay on top of the beast, not willing to take a fall from such a height. She was dimly aware of Rikku's running footsteps, and glancing behind her to see that the blonde was now standing a fair distance away from the stumbling dragon. Which was a good sign that she should probably get down before she got crushed.

She released her strong hold on the beast, sprinting across its spine before launching off into the air, ducking into a roll at the last second and coming up behind Rikku. The Elder Drake fell with a resounding crash, making the ground tremble beneath their feet. They waited, tense, to see if it was still alive, but when it ceased moving, they both released a long sigh.

"Shiva, Paine. Didn't know you were angry enough to break its freaking skull," Rikku muttered before glancing over at her. "Also, you should lay down while I heal you.

Paine looked down to see her outfit was torn with a huge gash across her stomach pulsing blood in a steady stream. All at once she became aware of the pain and she stumbled backwards, reaching out an arm so she could make a somewhat graceful descent to the floor. Rikku quickly changed into a white mage, casting several Curaga spells, followed up by a Regen to help anything that didn't heal with the first spells.

"Way to scare me there," Rikku said. "I didn't even have to do anything you were so fast. I don't think I've ever seen you fight like that. You should really get angry more often."

Paine snorted, shifting back into her Warrior sphere and using her sword to push herself back up to her feet. "I'd rather not, though it might be useful in the future. Thanks, for healing me I mean."

Rikku smiled. "Well, let's keep going. I bet Yuna and Tidus have made loads of more progress while we sit and chat."

"Oh, now who's lecturing who on wasting time. What a hypocrite," Paine said with a smirk.

"You know that's not even fair," Rikku whined. "The two are not comparable."

"Comparable? That's a big word for you," Paine said.

"That's cheap!" Rikku cried, giving the warrior a small shove.

Paine snickered, looping an arm around the thief's thin waist as they made their way down the hallway. "I play dirty, what can I say?"

Rikku stuck her tongue out at her, but didn't protest.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Baralai avoided Lulu's gaze, keeping his back to his troops until they were gone, disappearing up the hillside.

"Will someone tell me what's going on now?" he asked softly.

"You really don't know?" Lulu asked. "Gippal, please restrain him. We will discuss this in the temple."

"Alright. Come on," Gippal said, grabbing Baralai's arms and wrenching them behind his back. "I can't believe you don't remember anything."

"My...memories are fuzzy. Did I...did I do something to Paine?"

Gippal stopped pushing the man forward. Lulu continued on her way though, seeming to sense that this was a conversation she should not hear. Gippal turned the man around so he could look him in the eye properly. "I don't know. Something bad."

Baralai wrenched away, catching Gippal by surprise, and hurled himself into the bushes. A heartbeat later, the sound of painful retching reached his ears, and Lulu paused at the steps of the temple, an unreadable look on her face.

"Where is she?" Baralai's voice was rough as he stumbled back to where Gippal was.

"I don't know! We have to talk to Lulu," Gippal said.

Upon reaching the temple entrance, Lulu took the lead once more. Gippal could feel Baralai shaking under his grip, and he wondered if he even wanted to know the other man's side of the story. Lulu entered one of the side rooms, shutting and locking the door behind her once they were all inside.

"Now. Baralai. What do you know?"

"Lulu, give the man a break," Gippal interjected.

"We don't exactly have time for that," Lulu shot back. "Now tell me."

"I don't know! But I can tell you that if he's left me, it's to go back to his own...body. That means his body was in a vulnerable position, but now he's back to full strength, wherever he is," Baralai said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Someone needs to tell the others. They won't be expecting that," Lulu said. "But we can't reach them quick enough."

"Tell me where they are. I can do it," Baralai said.

"No. I suggest you stay here and think, Praetor Baralai. You are a man in a very powerful position, and it is obvious that your soul is too weak to keep intruders out. Perhaps you are not the man for this job." Lulu turned, opening the door. "Come on, Gippal. We have much to discuss."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

"I want sunlight."

Rikku's frustrated groan echoed around the empty green room.

"I'm fine," Paine said, glance sliding over to where Rikku was walking beside her. "You're just a whiner."

"Am not!"

Paine was about to retort, but in the next moment, the ground began to shake. Alarmed, she whipped out her sword, going back to back with Rikku without a single thought. The shaking grew worse, and then a loud hiss sounded from above them, a familiar hiss of pyreflies. Red eyes widened as the swirling mass descended upon them, passing through their bodies in a rush. Pain ripped through her, each pyrefly feeling like a knife slicing deep into her skin and opening her wounds wide.

_Hm, you seem to be doing well. I do not approve. _

_No! Get out of my head!_

Memories flooded her vision then, Baralai's face, distorted by pyreflies, his bruising and crushing grip on her hips, her wrists, his-

"Paine!"

Paine hit the ground with a gasp, Rikku sprawled out on top of her.

"Shiva, Paine! Don't ever do that again. I could've killed you!" Rikku's voice was breathless in her ear and the stickiness of her sweat clinging to her skin barely registered.

Rikku pulled back, staring into Paine's eyes, gaze blazing. In the next moment, Paine's lips were covered by Rikku's soft ones. It was quick and hard, the pressure gone in seconds. Panting, Paine's head hit the ground, eyes blank and chest heaving.

"Titan's nuts. This is crazy," Rikku muttered as she rolled off the warrior and flopped onto her back. "You attacked me. I thought I was going to kill you. Shiva."

Paine let out a nervous, tittering laugh at Rikku's curses, finding them absurdly funny for some unfounded reason that she didn't care to examine. "I wasn't in control of my body. I'm sorry."

"Who do you think that was?" Rikku asked, turning her head to look at Paine. Without thinking, she reached out and twined her fingers with Paines, squeezing.

"Trema. Definitely Trema," Paine murmured. "Which means he's probably left Baralai's body to come deal with us."

"Is that good or bad?" Rikku asked, her own nervous giggle escaping her lips.

"Both," Paine said with a shrug.

She shook free of Rikku's tight grip, forcing herself to stand up. Rikku followed, legs shaking a little.

"So what does this mean for us?"

Paine didn't answer the blonde's question at first, instead checking over her grids and weapons to give herself something to do. Finally, "Nothing. We keep going on as we have been."

Rikku reached out, brushing her hand agains the back of Paine's arm. She expected Paine to jerk away, but instead, the warrior leant into her touch for a moment of reassurance.

"Are you okay?"

Paine turned, flashed her a rare, soft smile. "Probably not, but that's okay. Just a little while longer and everything will be fixed.

"I don't know if that's a good answer or not."

"I don't know either. But we've gotta keep going," Paine said, striding forward. There can't be much more of this."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

Yuna froze as her eyes locked on the form at the end of the hallway. Tidus reached down to grab her hand, squeezing it tightly as he kissed her cheek.

"It's not really her, it can't be," he whispered.

Despite his words, Yuna couldn't stop the fear that was thudding through her veins with each beat of her heart. At the end of the hallway, Yunalesca stood, her gaze steady as pyreflies wrapped in and around her shadowy form, her eyes seeming to mock the ex-summoner's fear. Tidus released her hand and strode towards the woman, his courage giving Yuna the strength to trot after him, both guns out and ready to fire. Before they could even get close, the figure dissolved into a towering Chac, its glowing red eyes fiery as it stared them down.

"See, told ya," Tidus said, slipping into a fighting stance.

"Yeah, because this is better," Yuna said.

She sent several bullets straight at the Chac, feeling a little bit of satisfaction as the beast recoiled, twisting in on itself. Tidus jumped in then, hacking away at anywhere his sword could reach as he dodged the sharp scythes the Chac was flailing around. As the two moved faster, Yuna switched into her thief sphere, not wanting to chance hitting Tidus with one of her own bullets, and knowing that the added speed could help her keep up.

She dove in beside Tidus, slashing at the beast's hide wherever she could get a hit. Soon enough, their attacks were hitting the Chac so hard it couldn't keep up with them, and the ground grew slippery with the blood that was leaking out of the various wounds they had sprinkled over its body. Slowly but steadily, its movements grew slower and slower, until it was merely writhing on the ground in pain, unable to find the strength to fight back. With a cry, Tidus leapt up and drove his sword deep into its neck, and with a quick slash, severed its head.

Yuna changed back to her gunner sphere, panting a little as the Chac dissolved into pyreflies.

"You know, Yuna, I forgot how strong you got. Not just a summoner anymore," Tidus said.

"Excuse me? Just a summoner?" Yuna said, eyebrows raised.

"I don't mean that in an insulting way," Tidus said quickly, waving his hands in surrender.

Yuna laughed. "I know, Tidus, I know. We should keep going though. I want to catch up with Paine and Rikku sooner, rather than later."

Tidus was about to respond, but the ground began to shake, cutting off any response he had. Both of them looked into the inky blackness as an all too familiar hiss reached their ears, only to see a cloud of pyreflies shoot down towards them. They sprang apart, watching as the cloud flowed straight into the ground, vanishing before they could do anything more than watch.

"What was-" Yuna started.

An echoing scream reached their ears, almost deafening in its strength. For a moment, the pair could only stare at one another with questioning gazes, but all at once, Yuna realized who the scream belonged to.

"Oh Shiva, Paine!" Yuna cried, racing towards the nearest edge.

She flung herself off the edge, heedless of Tidus's protesting cry. When she reached the bottom, she saw Paine and Rikku standing up from the ground, and she could see that they were talking though her ears couldn't quite pick out what they were saying. Paine turned and began to walk away, sending Yuna into a sprint after them.

"Paine, Rikku!" she shouted, waving her arm at them.

She glanced behind her when she heard Tidus land, and he raced after her to catch up.

"Yunie!" Rikku exclaimed.

The warrior and thief turned around and made their way over to them, both looking relieved to see the other pair.

"You're okay," Yuna said, as if unable to believe it. "I thought I heard you screaming. A whole bunch of pyreflies flew past and then there was this loud scream and it...sounded like you."

"It...was," Paine said, frowning. "But don't worry about it. I'm alright now."

"Well, what was it?" Tidus asked. "Those pyreflies came out of nowhere."

"It was Trema, returning to his true body," Paine said. "Which means he's going to be harder to take down, but once we beat him here, it's over, completely. We don't have to yank him out of Baralai or anything like that."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tidus asked, eyes bright. "We need to get moving so we can get out of here."

Paine nodded. "Right, let's go."

She started to turn but Yuna caught her gaze, letting Rikku and Tidus proceed a little ways away from them. "You and I are going to have a talk later, and you're going to tell me what happened, okay?"

Paine looked down but nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Yuna reached forward and hugged her tight, not really caring that the responding hug wasn't very enthusiastic. "Take care of yourself, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want any of you to get hurt."

Paine pulled away, giving a small, reassuring smile. "I'll do what I can, but I make no promises."

"I guess that's all I can ask for."


End file.
